As a continued result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Northwest Mississippi Community College has announced adjustments to its attendance policy at home football games this season.
One of the most notable changes include a limit of 25 percent capacity inside Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field, as mandated in an executive order by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves. As a result, attendance will be limited to 1,066 spectators at all three home contests this fall.
All spectators will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing while inside the premises. All fans will also be required to sit in the bleachers with no loitering or standing on either fence or in the tailgate area of the north end zone.
Available tickets will be offered first to the families of players and participants. Those tickets can be claimed at the ticket booth at Bobby Franklin Field prior to kickoff.
For the Rangers' season opener against Mississippi Delta on October 1, tickets for students will be distributed at Howard Coliseum on the Senatobia campus on Monday, Sept. 28 from 2-4 P.M. and Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 9-10 A.M. and again from 2-4 P.M.
Faculty and staff can receive tickets on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1 from 9-10 A.M. and again from 2-4 P.M. on both days at Howard Coliseum.
General admission tickets are currently not available at this time for any home games, but an announcement will be made from the athletic department on social media and nwccrangers.com should any remaining tickets become available.
In accordance with guidelines from the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC), 160 tickets will be allotted for visiting teams. Fans of any opposing team should contact their respective athletic departments for more information on how to obtain those tickets.
Restrooms and concession stands will remain open, although social distancing guidelines will remain in place.
No fans will be allowed on the field before or after any contest. Entry to the playing surface will be strictly limited to student-athletes, coaches, officials and other essential institutional personnel.
"We know that these adjustments will be hard to make," Northwest President Dr. Michael Heindl said. "Although we would rather see our stadium at full capacity, we are aware that this is not possible given our current circumstances. We will respect and follow all local, state and national health guidelines as we try to provide our student-athletes, staff and limited guests with the safest and best experience possible."
All Northwest games will be carried live and in high definition on nwccrangers.com/watch. Jeremy Kennedy and John Luke McCord will return to the booth for the duo's fourth season on the call.
All games will also feature live stats that can also be found on nwccrangers.com. Social media updates will also be provided on Twitter (@NWCC_Rangers).
Dates, opponents and times are subject to change and fans are encouraged to visit nwccrangers.com for updates on any changes to the 2020 schedule.
